Buena Park, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Buena Park residents cannot legally burn yard waste, vegetation or trash in the open. Because the city is in the South Coast Air Basin (Orange County and the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties), open burning is regulated by the South Coast Air Quality Management District under Rule 444 (Open Burning). Rule 444 is designed to ensure open burning is conducted in a manner that minimizes emissions and impacts, and most categories of open burning, including residential burning, require burn authorization from the District rather than being freely permitted. The categories the District actually authorizes are largely agricultural burning, prescribed/land-management burning, disposal of Russian thistle or tumbleweed, and fire-hazard removal mandated by a local fire agency, none of which apply to ordinary household yard-waste disposal in a built-out suburb. Recreational or ceremonial fires and small fires for warmth or food preparation are exempt from the open-burning authorization requirement, which is why backyard fire pits and barbecues remain allowed. Separately, the adopted 2022 California Fire Code (Buena Park Municipal Code Title 16) requires permits and approval for open burning, and the Orange County Fire Authority can prohibit any burning that creates a hazard. The practical result is that residents should bag green waste for municipal collection rather than burn it.